BEIRUT, July 2 (Xinhua) -- About 100,000 Lebanese children risk missing the new school year unless war-damaged schools are repaired by September, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement Thursday.
The warning came after a nationwide survey by UNICEF and Lebanon's Ministry of Education and Higher Education found widespread damage across the country's education sector from the recent Middle East conflict.
The assessment identified 340 affected educational institutions, including schools and vocational centers, with 17 destroyed and many others requiring major repairs before reopening safely.
UNICEF cautioned that prolonged absence from school could heighten such risks as child labor and early marriage.
The agency said it is working with local authorities to rehabilitate damaged schools and sustain learning, while calling for extra funding.
